The Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is set to deliver judgement on the All Progressives Congress (APC) petition against New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
A statement by the Registrar of the Tribunal released Monday evening indicated that the three-man panel Presided by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, will decide the fate of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf on Wednesday, September 20.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in March 2023 declared Abba Yusuf, the candidate of NNPP winner and returned elected, having polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat Nasiru Gawuna of the APC who scored 890,705 votes.
Ahead of the judgement day, the ruling party in Kano and the Kwankwasiyya movement as well as the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) have embarked on separate series of prayers seeking divine intervention in their favor.
The prayer session came after both parties pointing accusation and counter allegation of attempting to subvert cause of justice. Justice Flora Azinge, one of the justices of the tribunal raised alarm over attempt to offer N10 million to one of his staff with the intension to subvert justice.
The tribunal had reserved judgment in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress, (APC) against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), challenging the declaration of Yusuf as Governor.
Justice Osadebay pledged to do justice and be fair to all parties in line with the provisions of the law while adherent to the 180 days within which election judgement would be delivered.
The petitioner had prayed for nullification of the NNPP Governorship candidate on the ground that the Governor was not a full and registered member of NNPP before the election.
APC equally asked the tribunal to declare the APC candidate winner, having scored highest votes and in alternative, the tribunal should declare the gubernatorial election inconclusive because the margin of lead is not more than the votes cancelled.
The respondents have asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition of All Progressives Congress (APC) for lacking in merit. NNPP insisted that all the arguments raised by APC are incompetent, null and void and fundamentally defective.
The NNPP had argued that APC’s petition ought to be declared invalid in the first instance, on the ground that no competent court has jurisdiction to rule on a petition where the primary contender (Governorship candidate) was not joined.
